Power spear



May 24, 1955 J, w, ARplN 2,708,860

POWER SPEAR Filed Sepfc. 9, 1954 i j- E.

A TTG/@NE Y POWER SPEAR John W. Arpin, Miami, Fla., assignor to Diving Corporation of America, Miami, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application September 9, 1954, Serial No. 455,931

2 Claims. (Cl: 891) This invention relates to power spears such as may be used for spearing ish.

The power spear of this invention is of pronounced simplicity in respect to its accomplishments. It employs a blank cartridge which is detonated by a firing pin which is integral with the projectile or Spearhead. Accordingly, for all practical purposes, the device eliminates the requirement of a firing pin in conventional form since its function is served by a simple integral projection on the rear end of the projectile. This permits the device to be made in substantially two parts and a further advantage is derived in that no firing pin or the like obstructs movement of the cartridge case after it has been detonated so that the cartridge case is expelled from its chamber together with the projectile. It should be noted here that the cartridge is placed in reversed form relative to conventional disposition thereof, i. e., its primer end is disposed forwardly. I am aware that this disposition in and of itself is not new but the combination thereof with a firing pin on the projectile is, to my knowledge novel.

The instant invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in cross section illustrating the connection of a power Spearhead to a spear shaft;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating the action of the Spearhead or projectile after having detonated the cartridge;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cartridge employed with the device.

The device, which essentially comprises a barrel and a Spearhead or projectile as hereinafter set forth, is illustrated as connected to spear body which may be of any conventional form. In the form shown, the spear body 10 is provided with a reduced end portion 11 which is externally threaded. As an example, the spear body r 1t) may itself be the projectile member of a conventional spear gun which is powered by rubber cords, springs or by any actuating force. Ordinarily, a penetrating tip having barbs is screwed on to reduced end 11. In the instant case, however, such a penetrating tip is replaced by my unit as will now be described.

The device comprises a barrel 12, one end of which is provided with internal threads which screw on to threaded end 11. Forwardly of the internally threaded portion is formed a cartridge chamber 13 having a rear shoulder 14 adapted to seat the open end of the cartridge case. A second forward shoulder 15 is formed in the barrel and is adapted to seat the conventional ange 16 of the cartridge 17. As is conventional in such cartridges, the flange 16 is the outer circumferential portion of the closed end or firing cap of the cartridge, in

the center of which is disposed the primer 17a. The

2,708,860 Patented May 24, 1955 front chamber 18 of barrel 12 takes up the remainder of the barrel and slidably receives the rear portion of the projectile or Spearhead 19.

Retrieving or captive means are provided for projectile 19. Otherwise, if thev projectile 19 were free, it might easily be lost when tired. Accordingly, I provide a strong exible cable 2li which at one end is looped into a hole 21 on the projectile and at the other end is looped into a metal disk 22 which is received on reduced end 11 and clamped between barrel 12 and spear body 16. Disk 22 has a larger opening 23 which is simply slipped over reduced end 11 before the barrel 12 is screwed down on end 11. Disk 22 has a smaller opening 24 which receives the rear end loop of cable 2d. The end loops are rendered secure by a conventional form of clamp 25 which is usually of soft metal material such as copper and which is clamped firmly so as to maintain the loop.

Of course, the retrieving or restraining line 20 may be of other material than metal cable, but in View of the great power of the device, it is preferred that the line be of strong metal cable having a pull test of at least 500 and preferably at least a thousand or more pounds.

Such a iiexible cable, when it is of stranded steel or the like, has a resiliency of its own and such resiliency may be utilized in the instant device. Thus, the front end of cable 29 is held around barrel 21 by a rubber band 26 so as to maintain the slidable projectile 19 in place within barrel chamber portion 18. Normally, the parts will have the relationship illustrated in Figure 1 where the front part of cable 26, i. e., that part forwardly of band 26, maintains the projectile 19 slightly forwardly of the cartridge rear face, the cable having such inherent stiffness as to so maintain the projectile. However, the resiliency of the cable Ztl is such that the projectile 19 may be slid inwardly against the action of the resilient cable for detonating the cartridge as will now be described.

The projectile 19 has a pointed striking head or front end 27 and is formed with a projection 28 at its planar rear face, such projection serving as a firing pin. Parenthetically, it may be noted that front end 27 may be made somewhat blunt in order to assure enough resistance in the object O for driving the projectile rearwardly relative to the barrel in order to detonate the cartridge.

The cartridge is largely of conventional form save for a wad of wax 29 which I apply to the front or open face of the cartridge for rendering it water-tight. Thus, I merely drop some melted wax into the opening and this serves the function stated. I have employed many types of cartridges such as 22 and 32 caliber in devices constructed according to this invention.

Assuming now that the spear body 19 is driven toward the object 0, presumably a fish, by conventional means such as from a Spear gun or the like, the projectile 19, upon hitting the fish, will be driven rearwardly, or, stated in other words, the inertia of the barrel will urge it forwardly relative to the projectile. The projection or firing pin 28 of the projectile will strike the primer 17a of cartridge 17 so as to detonate it. It is believed that the cartridge case is then deformed by the pressure so as to form a seal. Accordingly, the cartridge case itself, not the gases of explosion, acts directly against the projectile rear end so as to expel it with great force. In this way, the cartridge case is ejected with the projectile so as to entirely clear the barrel. The action of the cartridge case against the projectile is illustrated in Figure 2. Thus it will be recognized that the integral firing pin and projectile in combination with the reversed disposition of the cartridge in the barrel not only reduces the device to extreme simplicity but produces automatic discharge of the red or spent discharge.

When the projectile 19 is driven into the fish by the force of explosion, the cable 20 merely slides under the band 26 while the projectile is being ejected from the barrel. Ordinarily, the spear body will be connected to the gun by a long cable or other lineso that the entire apparatus may be retrieved. If desired, another cartridge may be inserted through the front end of barrel 12, the projectile restored and placed into position by the cable in preparation for another shot.

It will also be noted that the device may be employed without the cable 20 or without using the cable in the combination. In this case, it is only necessary to remove the disk 22 from the reduced end 11 so that the projectile 10 is substantially free of the device apart from restraining inuence of the band 26 upon the cable 20. In this event, when the projectile is shot it will penetrate or enter the sh, disassociating itself completely from the remainder of the device. It may be retrieved subsequently if desired when the fish is brought in.

What is claimed is:

1. A power spear comprising a barrel, said barrel having a chamber formed therein for receiving an explosive cartridge with the primer of said cartridge disposed at the front entrance of the chamber, a projectile slidably disposed in said barrel forwardly of said chamber, a striking head on one end of said projectile, a firing pin integrally formed on the other end thereof, a flexible, resilient metal cable connected at one end thereof to said projectile and having a portion thereof slidably secured to said barrel, said cable releasably holding said projectile within said barrel and normally maintaining said projectile spaced forwardly of said cartridge chamber, said cable being of suicient stiffness to normally resist rearward movement of said projectile in said barrel, said projectile being displaceable toward said cartridge chamber against the resilient action of said cable, and a rubber band encircling said barrel and said cable so as to releasably and slidably maintain said cable against said barrel and so as to maintain said projectile normally spaced forwardly of said cartridge chamber.

2. A power spear comprising a barrel, said barrel having a chamber formed therein for receiving an eX- plosive cartridge with the primer of said cartridge disposed at the front entrance of the chamber, a projectile slidably disposed in said barrel forwardly of said chamber, a striking head on one end of said projectile, a ring pin integrally formed on the other end thereof, a iiexible, resilient metal cable connected at one end thereof to said projectile and having a portion thereof slidably secured to said barrel, said cable releasably holding said projectile within said barrel and normally maintaining said projectile spaced forwardly of said cartridge chamber, said cable being of sucient stiffness to normally resist rearward movement of said projectile in said barrel, said projectile being displaceable toward said cartridge chamber against the resilient action of said cable, and a resilient member carried by said barrel exteriorly thereof and pressing said cable against said barrel so as to releasably and slidably maintain said cable against said barrel and so as to maintain said projectile normally spaced forwardly of said cartridge chamber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7,410 Brown June 4, 1850 49,548 Pierce Aug. 22, 1865 97,693 Rechten Dec. 7, 1869 256,041 Pierce Apr. 4, 1882 1,237,012 Barlow Aug. 14, 1917 1,336,656 Rogozea Apr. 13, 1920 1,445,126 Bergman Feb. 13, 1923 1,604,547 Cimorosi Oct. 26, 1926 2,530,434 Johnson NOV. 21, 1950 2,659,273 Trautmann Nov. 17, 1953 2,667,814 Blackmon M Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,397 France Feb. 20, 1920 299,755 Germany June 17, 1920 308,476 Germany Oct. 29, 1920 570,257 France Jan. 15, 1924 682,964 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1952 

